Diff'rent Star Leads Celtics to NBA Finals

My friend Mark sent me a great text message last night pointing out that there was no way that it could have been a coincidence that Celtics backup point guard Nate Robinson was playing so well on the same day that the iconic Gary Coleman passed away.

Robinson has been a fixture on the Celtics bench since coming to Boston from the Knicks in a trade that sent Eddie House to New York. I have seen him jack up more halfcourt 3-pointers during halftime than I would care to remember. I even laughed out loud on Wednesday when the Mark Jackson told the national television audience that Doc Rivers predicted Robinson would win a playoff game for the Celtics this spring.

That is why I was as shocked as anyone when Robinson emerged from the bench last night following Rajon Rondo suffered a hard fall to the parquet and needed a break. The 5-7 Robinson is a potent scorer but he never seemed to fit in with the star-studded Celtics roster on the offensive end and was a conscientious objector towards exerting effort on the defensive end. I would bet that his own family was betting against Nate making a positive impact on the game.

Well, making a positive impact is quite the understatement. Robinson exploded for all of his 13 points in the 2nd Quarter and helped the Celtics to a 55-42 halftime lead on their way to a 96-84 victory over the Magic that clinched the C's a spot in the NBA Finals.

Rondo (14 points and 6 assists) would eventually return to the floor and was instrumental in holding off a late rally by Orlando but make no mistake about it, Nate Robinson's contributions made it possible for the Celtics to win the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics have to wait until the Lakers-Suns series is over to know where they will be playing next Thursday when the Finals begin. The six off days will let the older legs of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rasheed Wallace get some much needed rest while Rondo, Tony Allen, Glen Davis, and Kendrick Perkins can attend to their own minor injuries.

Despite being the road team in the Finals, the Celtics will be the favorite to win the 18th championship in franchise history for the same reasons why they rolled through the East - they play defense, they get balanced scoring from inside the paint and on the perimeter, and they have the best point guard in the game, Rondo.

Now they also have a weapon to give Rondo the occassional rest.

Well done, Mr. Robinson, Celtics Nation tips its cap to you.